Make a Great Impression at Work with These 5 Tips

How significant do you believe first impressions are? We believe they are everything and on top of that, the impression you leave on others in the workplace will follow you through your entire career. So, how can you be sure you’re leaving a positive mark on others? These five tips ensure you’ll be making only the best impression.

Use Proper Etiquette

Proper etiquette is a must, especially in the workplace. This may sound like a no-brainer until you put some thought into how many people forget their manners on the regular. There are many simple ways to ensure you use proper etiquette in the office including:

If you’re allowed to use a cell phone at work, ensure you’re not disrupting anyone around you.

Get familiar with the telephone system. You’ll need to know the greetings you’re expected to use and how to use the basic functions like transferring a call.

Avoid office gossip to the best of your ability. If someone presents you with a juicy tidbit steer clear or change the subject immediately.

Do you feel like you need to go to work when you’re sick or your boss will be upset/frustrated? Any reasonable boss realizes that a sick employee is an unproductive employee and puts others at risk of getting sick as well. If you have a fever, think you may be contagious or are too rundown to be productive, take the day to rest and get better! You can always catch up when you’re feeling better, or if you insist on working and your employer allows for it, work from home.

Be Helpful During a Crisis

Regardless of where you work or what industry your position is in, there is going to be a crisis at some time in your employment. Learn how to deal with these situations quickly and effectively with a calm demeanor to make a lasting impression on your boss. Visualization is an excellent way to ensure you’ll be great in a crisis. Think about different situations that could go wrong and play the situation out in your head, that way you’ll know how to react appropriately should find yourself in a real-life version of the situation.

Be Organized

Being disorganized is terrible for your productivity but did you know it also leaves a bad impression? When your boss comes to ask you for your meeting notes, client information or something else and you cannot find it, what impression do you think that gives? Even worse, when you’re the disorganized one in the office other coworkers may avoid working with you on joint projects because of your cluttered desk.

Avoid Topics that Make Others Uncomfortable

Workplaces function best when they are calm which makes total sense right? Our last tip for making a great impression in the workplace is to avoid speaking about topics that can make others uncomfortable or even lead to arguments. Here are some common topics to avoid:

Religion

Politics

Finances, including what you make in your position

And private personal matters

Taking place in a great debate is never a bad thing, just remember to keep it on personal time and not around the water cooler.

Being responsible for your choices in the workplace will ensure you’re leaving a great impression for long-term employment. We’d love to hear what you do to make a positive lasting impression on your co-workers!